2013 Rape Case | Rajasthan High Court Grants Interim Bail To Asaram Bapu Till March 31 For Medical Treatment

Sparsh Upadhyay

14 Jan 2025 7:19 AM

  • 2013 Rape Case | Rajasthan High Court Grants Interim Bail To Asaram Bapu Till March 31 For Medical Treatment

    The Rajasthan High Court (Jodhpur bench) today granted interim bail till March 31 to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is serving a life sentence in connection with a 2013 rape case. This order enables Asaram to walk out of jail for the first time since his arrest in 2013.The order was passed by a bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur a week after the Supreme...

    The Rajasthan High Court (Jodhpur bench) today granted interim bail till March 31 to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is serving a life sentence in connection with a 2013 rape case. This order enables Asaram to walk out of jail for the first time since his arrest in 2013.

    The order was passed by a bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur a week after the Supreme Court granted Bapu interim bail till March 31 to avail medical treatment.

    Asaram has been granted bail by the High Court on the same conditions as imposed by the Top Court, including the condition that he should not meet his followers upon his release. A local court sentenced him to life imprisonment in April 2018 for raping a minor at his ashram in Jodhpur in 2013.

    The Top Court had granted him medical bail till March 31, 2025, enabling Asaram to undergo necessary treatment. The bench clarified that the relief was granted solely on humanitarian grounds and directed compliance with conditions imposed during the bail period. The Court also indicated that Asaram's medical status could be reassessed closer to the expiration of the bail term.

    In the Supreme Court case, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, with Advocates Rajesh Gulab Inamdar and Shashwat Anand, appearing for Asaram, had pressed arguments both on the merits of the conviction and on medical grounds. On merits, they pointed out inconsistencies in the prosecution's case and argued that the conviction relied solely on the uncorroborated testimony of the prosecutrix.

    In March last year, the Supreme Court dismissed Bapu's plea challenging the order of Rajasthan High Court in respect to conviction in another rape case. Following this, he approached the Rajasthan High Court, which allowed him to get ayurvedic treatment at 'Arogayadham Center' at Jodhpur in police custody in March 2024. He was then granted Parole on December 18, last year, for 15 days and 2 additional days for travelling to get treatment. 

    Case title: Asharam Alias Ashumal v/s State of Rajasthan

    Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Raj) 21

    Counsel for Petitioner: Advocates RS Saluja, Nishant Bora, Acharaj Singh, Yashpal Singh Rajpurohit and Bharat Sain

    Counsel for State: AAG Deepak Choudhary 

    Counsel for Complainant: Advocate PC Solanki

    Click Here To Read/Download Order


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